The feasibility of getting into medicine?

[pi]

He means degrading comments rather than constructive criticism.

Even still, I think it's important to find out why said person has a problem with you. You could unintentionally be doing something douchey etc. If it's their problem, then sure, go ahead and ignore them.

[appianway]

I disagree...but only to an extent. Medicine, hmm. Conceptually, it isn't that difficult. It isn't that difficult to get, say, a 70 average in Medicine. It's significantly harder, however, to get an 80 average. No one gets a 90 average. The difficulty is in the volume of content that you have to simply memorise, and the randomness of the exams.

This would thus suggest that medicine favors hard work and an aptitude at memorization over raw brainpower to tackle conceptually difficult material and perform abstract analysis. In addition, many here would argue that much of success in VCE stems from hard work. As the OP was asking whether you need to be a genius to do medicine, I think it can be said that you don't need to be a genius by any means, but you need to be intelligent and to have a strong work ethic.

Of course, entry into medicine also relies on the UMAT and the interview, but I wouldn't assume that you need to be a genius in the traditional sense to do well at those.

[Russ]

The topic is hardly derailed, but backseat moderating most definitely will derail it -.-

What do you mean?

Im ultimately saying that to do well in any field you need the same sorts of things, and medicine is no different. Theres nothing magical about med that makes it harder to succeed in than any other field. But thats my two cents. When I say it is no harder than any other degree, im saying once you're in. Ive already asserted that getting in is harder, im not talking about that.

I think that the requirements for success (granted it depends on how you define success) in the medical field are higher or more significant than the requirements in many other fields. The characteristics you need are the same (hard work, commitment, communication skills etc.) are the same, but the bar you need to reach is higher.

[Jdog]

The topic is hardly derailed, but backseat moderating most definitely will derail it -.-

I think that the requirements for success (granted it depends on how you define success) in the medical field are higher or more significant than the requirements in many other fields. The characteristics you need are the same (hard work, commitment, communication skills etc.) are the same, but the bar you need to reach is higher.

What makes you say that?

I have friends in second and third year commerce busting a nut to get an internship at Goldman sachs and other IB firms where competition of very much equal to medicine, and I'd challenge you to confront some of them and say its not and medicine somehow is more challenging. Equally there are law graduates suffering the same plight.

I do agree with you to some extent, that it along with the fields I have mentioned and others, require more than some other fields. However I don't like the idea of putting medicine on a pedestal and in effect undermining the very real hard work and competitiveness others may face.

[Russ]

I have friends in second and third year commerce busting a nut to get an internship at Goldman sachs and other IB firms where competition of very much equal to medicine, and I'd challenge you to confront some of them and say its not and medicine somehow is more challenging. Equally there are law graduates suffering the same plight.

I do agree with you to some extent, that it along with the fields I have mentioned and others, require more than some other fields. However I don't like the idea of putting medicine on a pedestal and in effect undermining the very real hard work and competitiveness others may face.

Theres nothing magical about med that makes it harder to succeed in than any other field. But thats my two cents. When I say it is no harder than any other degree, im saying once you're in.

These are very different things you're saying. You originally said that there is nothing harder about success in medicine than in any other field, which I think is absolutely not correct when you consider the unique requirements and demands on doctors, as well as the volume of work required. I do not think that it is more difficult than any other profession as a blanket statement and I never said that, so I'd appreciate you not putting words in my mouth. I also don't think I have ever put medicine on a pedestal and slighted the hard work of others. Recognizing that it is a difficult career and is more so than other options I could have chosen is not dismissing those choices as worthless or elevating medicine to some higher level. I do completely agree that there are other professions that have significant challenges the equal (and outstripping) what doctors face.

[ninwa]

This is the attitude of the moderators of this forum that makes it a victim of highly negative atmosphere.
If backseat moderating such as that which i am accused of doing (clearly trying to calm down a situation), then i think the forum,
needs much more of me.

If you have a problem with the moderators, I would appreciate it if you could raise it privately with me via personal message or email, instead of derailing a thread further. Cheers.

[Jdog]

These are very different things you're saying. You originally said that there is nothing harder about success in medicine than in any other field, which I think is absolutely not correct when you consider the unique requirements and demands on doctors, as well as the volume of work required. I do not think that it is more difficult than any other profession as a blanket statement and I never said that, so I'd appreciate you not putting words in my mouth. I also don't think I have ever put medicine on a pedestal and slighted the hard work of others. Recognizing that it is a difficult career and is more so than other options I could have chosen is not dismissing those choices as worthless or elevating medicine to some higher level. I do completely agree that there are other professions that have significant challenges the equal (and outstripping) what doctors face.

I think you might be misunderstanding what I am saying, or I'm not communicating myself effectively, probably the latter.

Of course I am not under the falsehood that each career is the same in terms of requirements, as you rightly pointed out. Each and every profession has its own nuances.

what I am referring to when I say there is nothing magical about success, is of the basics of sucess anywhere! Things like hardwork, sacrifice, passion, dedication etc. These are things requireed for success everywhere! So yes, I agree with you, there are some special skill sets, exclusive to some careers, but Im talking about more general principles of success anywhere. To be the best in any field there are a few key things that you need regardless of where you apply them.

[vox nihili]

If you have a problem with the moderators, I would appreciate it if you could raise it privately with me via personal message or email, instead of derailing a thread further. Cheers.

Not that I agree with what they've said or how they've said it, but wouldn't it be better to practise what you preach?



Med's hard, no doubt, but part of the selection process is ensuring that people who are chosen for med won't find it untenable. That's part of the reason the process is so rigorous! The demand for it as well of course, and a need for selecting the best people to be doctors.

[appianway]

What makes you say that?

I have friends in second and third year commerce busting a nut to get an internship at Goldman sachs and other IB firms where competition of very much equal to medicine, and I'd challenge you to confront some of them and say its not and medicine somehow is more challenging. Equally there are law graduates suffering the same plight.

I do agree with you to some extent, that it along with the fields I have mentioned and others, require more than some other fields. However I don't like the idea of putting medicine on a pedestal and in effect undermining the very real hard work and competitiveness others may face.

In some ways, medicine is not as competitive as other industries. Once you get the degree, you're basically guaranteed a well paying job. The competition for getting into the degree is high, but as others have said, if you're willing to go interstate or to study graduate medicine, it's much less competitive.

In addition, I'd argue that jobs at places like Goldman Sachs IB are far more competitive than medicine. It's easier to get into Commerce or Science in comparison to medicine, but the top jobs are much harder to obtain. Places like Goldman have about a 1% offer rate, despite the quality of the cohort applying.

[Russ]

I think you might be misunderstanding what I am saying, or I'm not communicating myself effectively, probably the latter.

Of course I am not under the falsehood that each career is the same in terms of requirements, as you rightly pointed out. Each and every profession has its own nuances.

what I am referring to when I say there is nothing magical about success, is of the basics of sucess anywhere! Things like hardwork, sacrifice, passion, dedication etc. These are things requireed for success everywhere! So yes, I agree with you, there are some special skill sets, exclusive to some careers, but Im talking about more general principles of success anywhere. To be the best in any field there are a few key things that you need regardless of where you apply them.

Ah right. Yes, I agree, success in medicine rests on the same pillars as other fields.

[Yacoubb]

I'm probably in the same boat here. At my school, telling someone you want to get a 50 in a subject literally seems impossible. I have no idea why - but I'm out to prove a few people wrong. Thankfully, I've been doing really well in both my year 11 and 12 subjects and I want to be a doctor and get into Med. I really do believe that its mind over matter - don't let what people think of you or what the expectation is put you down. My school gets great results, but very rarely a student hits the 45+ in a subject like Biology, Chemistry or Physics for instance. But just because that hasn't happened, doesn't mean you can't make it happen.

Believe in yourself - because remember that those that tell you that you can't, and those who say that you wont, are those whom are petrified that you will!

[vox nihili]

I'm probably in the same boat here. At my school, telling someone you want to get a 50 in a subject literally seems impossible. I have no idea why - but I'm out to prove a few people wrong. Thankfully, I've been doing really well in both my year 11 and 12 subjects and I want to be a doctor and get into Med. I really do believe that its mind over matter - don't let what people think of you or what the expectation is put you down. My school gets great results, but very rarely a student hits the 45+ in a subject like Biology, Chemistry or Physics for instance. But just because that hasn't happened, doesn't mean you can't make it happen.

Believe in yourself - because remember that those that tell you that you can't, and those who say that you wont, are those whom are petrified that you will!

Absolutely right! Our school hadn't had people get scores over 98 in almost a decade, but last year, two of us thought "stuff it" and did it anyway...though our dux did do quite a better job of it !